Id Rather Be in Philadelphia
by literati4life
Summary: Stop number 6 of the Barack Obama presidential campaign. What happens when Rory and Jess meet once again, but this time there's no one in their way...except a red head named Brooklyn.
1. Hello Philadelphia

PLEASE NOTE: Im new to this fanfic thing, and Im not the best writer. Don't say I didnt warn you. Please comment on my stories. Tell me what you like and what you dont. But please make it constructive criticism. No need to be mean now

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Well excpet Milo Venitmiglia. :) Haa, I wish.

**CHAPTER ONE: HELLO PHILADELPHIA**

Stop number 6 of the Barack Obama presidential campaign. The bus stops, and Rory Gilmore opens her eyes upon feeling the bus stop motion. Waking up in Philadelphia. She had been nervous for most of her trip so far, her first real job as a journalist, but this stop filled her with themost anixety. Rory stepped off the bus and headed towards the hotel where she and the rest of the other reporters were staying during their time in Philadelphia. Jennifer, another journalist who was working on the campaign with Rory and whom she had developed a quick friendship with, turned towards Rory noting the look on her face.

"Woah. Gilmore you look like you've seen a ghost. Now I've heard rumblings that this town is haunted but I've always still been a little skeptic of the unknown." Jennifer said, in a ramble which resembled the work of a Gilmore, "You okay?"

Rory shook her head trying to regain consicious thought, "Um yea. I'm totally fine." she lied and it was evident to all around her, Rory Gilmore never had been good at the lieing thing, her eyes always gave her away.

Jennifer opened the door as they reached the room they would be staying in and both girls drops their bags on a bed, as to claim it for their own. Jennifer turned towards Rory placing her hands on her hips and stared her down, "Youre lieing to me Gilmore, I don't appreciate that."

Rory rolled her eyes with a bit of a laugh, "It's fine. Don't worry mother. I'm just a little nervous is all."

"You weren't even nervous on your first day of the campaign. You were that freak sitting at the front of the bus so excited to get started. You spent hours going over your notes and articles until they were perfect. You weren't afraid to talk to anyone get any dirt. And now you're starting to feel nervous? Why do I not buy it?"

Rory shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not sure why don't buy it, but it's the truth." she said reaching for her bag again. "Actually there was a pool here, yes? Think I'm just gonna relax by the pool tonight I'm gonna go change."

"But Gilmore, we have a ritual, first night in every new town we hit a bar and scope out the hotties. The joy of being single on the road. Are you really going to break the tradition already?" Jennifer asked Rory with disappointment and worry in her voice.

Rory gave her new friend a small smile, "Sorry, just this once I promise." And with that she took her bag and headed out the door. Unable to be around anyone right now, she just needed time to herself to think. Think about what? She wasn't quite sure, there was just something about being in the same town as Jess Mariano again that made her nervous, and excited at the same time...and she didn't know what to think about that.


	2. Head in the Clouds

PLEASE NOTE: Im new to this fanfic thing, and Im not the best writer. Don't say I didnt warn you. Please comment on my stories. Tell me what you like and what you dont. But please make it constructive criticism. No need to be mean now

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Well excpet Milo Ventimiglia. :) Haa, I wish.

**CHAPTER TWO: HEAD IN THE CLOUDS**

Rory awoke the next morning to the sun streaming into her hotel window, the sun doing nothing to help her splitting headache. Jennifer jumped onto the edge of Rorys bed upon seeing her awake, "Morning sleepy head." she said cheerfully and snapped her fingers, "Snap snap, we have to leave for the conference in one short hour."

Rory threw her pillow over her head and kicked at the covers attempting to hit Jenn, "Damnit not so loud."

Jennifer grinned, "Is my little girl hung over?"

Rory grimaced and slowly got out of bed, "Maybe a teeny tiny bit." she said walking over to the mini fridge and getting out one of those bottles of over priced water and taking a long drink followed by two asprins.

"So I'm assuming you did more than lounge around the pool all night."

"Ha, more like lounged around the lounge." Rory said as she went through her suitcase picking out her outfit for the day, dark grey dress pants and a matching fitted blazer with a sheer white camosile underneath, "Im gonna quickly go get changed. Then we can head out."

Jennifer nodded, "For another day of work. Oh joy." She said as she switched on the television searching through the channels as Rory headed off to the washroom to get ready for the day ahead of her. Perhaps putting a little more effort into her outfit than she had ever done for any of the other conferences, because in the back of her mind as unlikely as it would be, there was a chance she could run in him, Jess Mariano, in this city.

The conference hall was stuffy and Rory realized more than ever that she was over dressed. And while most of the other events she had covered while on the road with everyone Rory had been the most eager to ask questions, to write, to be there and live the experience to its fullest today she found her mind wandering. Off in a day dream state for most of the conference, in fact she hadn't even noticed that it was over, little to nothing written in her notebook when Jennifer gently jabbed her elbow into Rorys side to indicate that everyone else was leavingand she better get up too or risk being left behind.

Rory gave a small smile trying to play off that she had been day dreaming and so out of it, not wanting to worry Jennifer anymore than she already had, because this surely wasn't normal Rory Gilmore behaviour at all.

Upon exiting the building Jennifer asked Rory to walk back to the hotel with her instead of taking the bus and she agreed. "So, a bunch of us are going out for drinks tonight." Jennifer said turning to Rory, "Joseph, Karen, maybe Aly...there's a good place down the street from the hotel." she said with a shrug, "And we're not taking no for an answer, you've been mopey ever since you stepped off that bus. Now I know Philly isn't the most exciting place in world, it's no Las Vegas but I do think a night out would cheer you up and do you some good."

Rory sighed, finding it unevitable to get out of going out again and honestly believing that maybe it would do her some good to go, get her mind of that Mariano kid. "Sure. I can do that." she said smiling a bit, "As long as we can stop for a cheese steak before we go back to the hotel."

Jenn grinned at her, "Of course we can darling. What's kind of trip to Philly would this be if we didn't stop for a cheese steak."

"I don't know. Sounds like a pretty horrible one to me."


	3. Reasons Unknown

PLEASE NOTE: Im new to this fanfic thing, and Im not the best writer. Don't say I didnt warn you. Please comment on my stories. Tell me what you like and what you dont. But please make it constructive criticism. No need to be mean now

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Well excpet Milo Ventimiglia. :) Haa, I wish.

**CHAPTER THREE: REASONS UNKNOWN**

Clad in low rise jeans and a black halter top, her hair pulled back into a messy but classy ponytail Rory walked out the door with the group on the way to the bar; Mickey's, a small place down the road. The bar wasn't too busy that night, but the music was good enough, and a round of tequila shots were the cheapest Rory had seen anywhere.

She tried to get into the conversation that was going on at her table, but Rory soon faultered and by now had no clue what they were talking about but still managed to keep up shot for shot. A few drinks later she stood up and excused herself.

Jenn looked up at Rory, "Where ya going?" she asked her words beginning to slur together.

"Washroom, right back, wont even know Im gone." Rory said and Jennifer gave her a nod turning back towards the group not even noticing that Rory infact did not head towards the washroom but towards the door, and she was on her way.

It had been over a year since Rory had visited Jess for his grand opening of Truncheon books but she remembered the address,exactly how to get there as if it had just been yesterday. Funny how some things like that just stick in your mind, yet she was always misplacing her keys...priorities y'know.

It wasn't long before Rory was staring down the door of the bookstore, wondering what the hell she was doing there. It was the middle of the night, the store was surely closed. But didn't he live upstairs? She thought he used to, hoped he still did, would he be asleep?

"Okay. Stop it. No more thinking." Rory scolded herself, she hadn't in fact been thinking when she walked over here had she? Half drunk out of her mind, she wasn't thinking when she had walked over, perhaps she was just following her heart. Rory knocked on the door of the store, loudly and waited for a moment getting no response at first she grew agitated and frantic, knocking again and again until she heard a yell from within.

Jess hadn't been able to sleep that night, why he wasn't quite sure, it was just one of those nights of unexpected insomnia that people get from time to time, no big deal. The biggest plus to living right above his place of work, a bookstore, was that on nights like these when he couldn't sleep and had nothing to do he could creep downstairs and browse the new arrivals,or re read some of his favorite classics early into the morning.

That night Jess was sitting in back, catching up on his Kafka when he could've sworn he heard something. Closing his book and putting it down Jess lifted his head straining to hear, and sure enough he heard frantic knocking at the store front. His face registered confusion as he walked to the front of the store, "Who the hell is here at 2 am?" Jess grumbled and opened the door.

And who did he come face to face with but the girl he never expected to see again in his life, Rory Gilmore.

Rory just stared at Jess for a moment no words coming to her mind. She had expected him to be here but she hadn't expected to see him for some reason. Rory took a deep breath before speaking quietly, "I don't know why I came here." she simply stated and Jess nodded his head, quietly, as he looked at Rory taking in her every feature. She looked just as beautiful as always, maybe even more so and it was at that moment that he too realized that he had been staring.

"Um. Come in." Jess said, stepping aside, opening the door a little wider and making a sweeping motion with his hand pointing inside the store.

Rory nodded silently and walked inside as Jess closed the door behind her. Jess hit the light as he followed Rory over to the sofa they had sat at all that time ago at the grand opening, he noticed a slight stumble in her step as she walked over and eventually sat down. Jess looked at her a flicker of worry across her face, "Rory? You okay?" he asked concerned.

"Yea." Rory replied watching him as he approached and sat down across from her. Silence. Awkward. Their last meeting had gone so horribly. It had ended in a huge argument and they had never expected to see eachother again, but somehow being in such close proximity with him Rory had been drawn to go see him, maybe make things right? "I dont' know why I came here." she said quietly to Jess once again.

Jess nodded, sensing her nervousness, seeing it. Partially feeling bad she seemed so confused, partially relieved he wasn't the only one sitting there like that. "Yea, you said that already."


End file.
